Marina Wheeler KC, the ex-wife of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has been named as the Labour Party’s adviser on safeguarding women against workplace harassment. As an employment lawyer, Wheeler’s main focus will be on facilitating the transparency of incidents in which workers have been subjected to discrimination and bullying. Presently, whistleblowers are safeguarded against unfair dismissal under particular circumstances like employer criminal offences. Labour aims to extend protections to individuals seeking to disclose unacceptable behaviour posed by employers, particularly those affecting women.
Shadow Attorney General Emily Thornberry stated in a speech at the Labour Party conference on Tuesday that women have long been forced to pick between staying silent after experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace and likely encountering the perpetrator or losing their employment and legal benefits. To secure the same safeguards provided to other whistleblowers, “It’s time we afforded the same protections to individuals reporting sexual harassment, bullying, and discrimination in the workplace,” she added.
Wheeler mentioned that women are frequently victims of sexual harassment and assault in the workplace and pay a huge price for speaking out. After spending over two decades litigating employment disputes, she revealed that she is thrilled to be working with Thornberry to identify solutions, including updating laws if needed, to persuade women to come forward. She cited a recent survey in which female surgeons claimed to have experienced sexual harassment or assault at the hands of coworkers during the previous five years.
Furthermore, in her speech, Thornberry laid out plans to improve the property rights of unmarried women in England and Wales who live with their spouses. Currently, cohabiting women have no legal rights when their relationships terminate, but Thornberry is working on plans to alter this, saying that no woman should remain in an unhappy bond or be forced to get married just to avoid being put on the street. Johnson’s divorce from Wheeler was finalised in February 2020 after the couple had four children together
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